Petco™ Comes Aboard As Sponsor For NBC's Popular Thanksgiving Day Special, The National Dog Show Presented by Purina®

NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leading pet specialty retailer, Petco™, will be part of "The National Dog Show Presented by Purina®" on NBC Thanksgiving Day as a Best In Group Sponsor, the event announced today.

Operating more than 1,150 stores nationwide, Petco joins Purina and several department stores brands in the two-hour holiday special, which airs from noon – 2 p.m. in all time zones, following The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The special is a celebration of America's fascination with man's best friend, hosted by John O'Hurley, the "Seinfeld" ensemble actor (catalogue kind "J.Peterman") and expert analyst David Frei of Westminster Kennel Club fame, America's foremost authority on the sport. Prominent NBC Olympics host/broadcaster Mary Carillo, like O'Hurley an incurable canine aficionado, is the sideline reporter.

The two-hour special's unique content is facilitated by the open format of the Kennel Club of Philadelphia event, one of only five remaining "benched" shows in which the dogs are on display all day for the visiting public. NBC uses that lively atmosphere to produce a show that celebrates the species and makes every canine the star of the day.

Now entering its 11th year, the show has been an unqualified hit on Thanksgiving Day, with a total audience average of over 18.5 million viewers through its first decade. It is by far the most widely-viewed dog show and the most prominent showcase for man's best friend every year.

About Petco

Petco is a leading pet specialty retailer that provides the products, services and advice that make it easier for our customers to be great pet parents. Everything we do is guided by our vision for Healthier Pets. Happier People. Better World. We operate more than 1,150 stores nationwide, including more than 50 Unleashed by Petco locations, a smaller format neighborhood shop, and www.petco.com. The Petco Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization, has raised more than $100 million since it was created in 1999 to help promote and improve the welfare of companion animals. In conjunction with the Foundation, we work with and support approximately 8,000 local animal welfare groups across the country to help find homes for more than 250,000 animals through in-store adoption events every year.